Soo Much

There are some cool aliens out there. Some kick ass while others look rad. There are many types and many options but you’re reading this because I am writing what I think the best 5 are. So sit back, drink some soda, and enjoy my top 5 aliens list.

5. Tripods (War of the Worlds)

To be honest this spot almost went to the Daleks from Dr. Who. But as I reassessed the #5 spot I decided to go with the Tripods. In Speilberg’s War of the Worlds these things are just brutal. Buried within the Earth and driven by an alien force that shows up in lightning storms. Their destructive power is showcased in an awesome moment when people try and investigate what’s happening. The theme of our own history with the Native Americans is another tremendous aspect to these ETs.  Aesthetically they are a pretty cool piece of alien technology that actually mirrors their physical appearance. The Tripods are a very ruthless, but very enjoyable extra terrestrial experience.

4. The Strangers (Dark City)

The Strangers are a very vampire-esque alien species.  In Dark City they create this total noir environment that really makes an impression, and puts them on this list. Their whole mission of human manipulation and study as their driving force just makes them so fun to watch. The fact that they are parasites just adds to the whole vampire aspect of them. They are ever present and all powerful and a great alien villain.

3. Zabrak  (Star Wars)

This species gave us Darth Maul and Savage Opress, that’s almost enough said right there. My reason for liking them is mainly these two characters. Darth Maul is basically everyone’s favorite part of Episode I (if not please let me know what else there is to like about that movie). He is a fast, furious lightsaberist who just flat out looks remarkable. Sure, he went out like a punk, but putting that aside he is still one of the coolest things to happen to Star Wars. Then you have Savage Opress. If you aren’t watching Clone Wars right now, you should be (it’s rad). This new character makes a good show even better. Honestly if a 3rd cool Zabrak character shows up, I may have a stroke.

2. Timelords (Doctor Who)

Sure they just look like normal dudes. They have two hearts and that’s about all that physically distinguishes them from humans. But the last of their species, the Doctor, has something that is so cool. The TARDIS. Being able to travel in time and space makes the timelords an easy number two for my list. They are able to see and do things other aliens can’t even dream of. On top of that, they regenerate. With each regeneration comes a new face, a new personality.. a new person! This makes for a lot of good television to watch as each doctor has his adventures with his human companion.

1. Krogan (Mass Effect)

The Krogan in the Mass Effect series are the end all be all of alien warriors. Living on a planet where predators are a constant threat, as well as the major cause of death, the Krogan embrace violence as a way of life. These reptilian looking aliens are hostile and impatient, but man when you have one on your side in Mass Effect, you are happy to have him. Their culture and mannerisms are very well developed for a video game species.  Whether it’s Wrex or Grunt, it’s great to have them in your shore party any chance you get. If you haven’t played these games yet your missing out on a ton, not least of which is a chance to experience these astounding alien behemoths of combat.

Are you looking through your library of games looking for some you don’t play anymore? Trying to scratch up some extra cash for a new game? If you are anything like me, you agonize deciding what games should stay and which get the boot. That is why every once in a while I will post a brief micro review focused on the pros and cons of keeping or trading a game you may have in your library. And what better way to start with a game I recently considered trading in to get Halo: Reach. So here it goes, Should I Trade In: Transformers War for Cybertron?

To start I love love this game.  As a fan of the cartoon and half of the movies released for this franchise I was destined to be a fan of a TF game that didn’t remotely suck. I bought the game without hesitation after reading two reviews. But now that I have beaten the campaign and played mulitplayer a bit I have found myself weighing in the pros and cons of keeping this game.

The game has a great, albeit short, campaign. With fan service abound, the story is engaging and giving history to some of our oldest and fondest Autobot and Decepticon relationships. I mean the robotic bromance between Megatron and Starscream was enough for me.  It was a great way to back and tell a story that we have never seen before. The cybertronian designs for ALL the characters is awesome but I especially love what they did with Bumblebee and Ironhide. Honestly I go on for a while about how great the campaign is but with no leveling system to the characters or their abilities there isn’t much reason to back for more. One good reason to go back for more is that each level has three playable characters, so you could essentially play the game a second (or third) time and play as a totally different character. You also have a co-op campaign option so you can play together and discover Transformer history. There isn’t much gameplay change between the different characters but it is a re-playable factor to the campaign so I can’t discredit it.

The multiplayer on the other hand is a bit more hearty. Now mind there is no Halo or COD fanfare here but there is a decent amount to keep a little Autopal or Deciptidude busy.  With four classes to choose from I actually have trouble picking a class sometimes. Each offers a pretty distinct set of combat advantages and weaknesses that all balance pretty well. On top of that there is a leveling system that gives you access to more abilities for you character. These keeps things interesting and the player invested long enough to keep playing. A limited customization to your online character doesn’t hurt either. The online modes are quite a bit of fun, the theme is definitely simple fun over complicated mechanics. You have the basics suite of game modes that includes a well put together and addicting firefight mode. This game hasn’t been ignored by it’s developer either with two download content packages that include new maps and character chassis. All in all it is a great online option for this third person shooter.

The verdict: Keep It

While this may not be an RPG with 80 hours of gameplay or a shooter with a ridiculous amount of multiplayer content, this game is fun. Couple a fun game with a limitedly re-playable campaign and a solid B+ multiplayer suite and you have a game worth keeping around for a while. If there is more content on the way then there is an even more reason to keep this game. And it’s a GOOD Transformers game, for a fan, that is enough said.

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